Giving Into You
by DarkWoods
Summary: Takes place directly at the end of 4x03, The Rager. After Damon pulls Elena off Matt, she asks him to stay the night. Once he and Stefan discover that Elena is starving, Damon starts to teach Elena how to feed. Things grow increasingly heated during their lessons. Meanwhile, Stefan is faced with a tough decision. Delena, but with some Stelena sprinkles.
1. The Blood Share

"_Disclaimer: 1) a renunciation of any claim to or connection with; 2) a disavowal; 3) a statement made to save one's own ass" ~Kevin Smith, Dogma_

_In other words, we all know we don't anything TVD, we all wish we did...down to every last snarky comment (insert eye-thing and sexy smirk here)_

**A/N; Warning... super long author's note! If you hate them, just skip to the "Happy Reading!"**

**I feel like this is a little OOC (Out Of Character), but that's why it's fan fic. If our beloved Damon and Elena would actually get their act together on the show, then we might not have anything to write about. So, I'm afraid your in for sappy and overly understanding Damon, a give-in-too-easy Elena, and a give-up-too-easy Stefan. Much more OOC then I usual write them, but hope you enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it.**

**When I first started this story it was going to be a one-shot all about Damon and Elena sharing blood, but it's turned into more than that. Now, it's a multi-chapter and I've really gotten into the scenes where Damon teaches Elena to feed. It raised a lot of really interesting questions about how the different characters view blood and feeding.**

**This is definitely a Delena story, but be warned...there is also quite a bit of Stefan/Stelena. Also, hints of some menage moments. Have to admit, I'm usually a Stefan/Stelena hater... ok, I don't completely hate him. I just love to yell at the TV when he's being all broody. He's so Angel. **

**(P.s. Did 4x06 remind any BtVS fans of anything? Maybe a certain Xmas Buffy episode where The First torments Angel? Anyone?)**

**One last side note; Damon's car... I'm a nerd (with apparently nothing better to do, lol)... So, I looked up the names of Chevy's original paint colors, and crosschecked a few sources for the year. Pretty sure I got it right, but I would looooove feed back on it.**

**Finally... Happy Reading!**

**/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/**

**Giving Into You**

_Like a moth into a flame, I'm hypnotized  
And like a stone, I'm paralyzed cause I can't look away_

_~Break this Spell, Daughtry_

**Chapter One: The Blood Share**

Damon pulled up to Elena's house in his '67 Marina Blue Chevy Camaro. With Meredith's words ringing in his ears, he took a deep breath and swallowed his pride. She was right. He needed to fix things. Damon thought he'd start with Elena.

The moment he got out of his car, he heard a commotion inside. Damon furrowed his brows as he shut the car door to listen closer. "Elena...Elena..." He heard her name being spoken in choked words. Damon didn't wait long enough to figure out who the voice belonged to before taking off at vamp speed.

In an instant, he was in her house pulling Elena off of someone and pushing her back. She barely gave Damon a glance as she tried to plow through him, her fangs fully extended and her face full of rage at being torn away from her meal.

"Stop!" Damon yelled at her, barely registering the rapid heartbeat behind him. He held his hands up, speaking in a firmer, yet more gentle voice. "Stop." This time Elena seemed to understand that it was Damon standing in front of her. He watched as the darkness in her eyes faded, and the veins beneath them receded.

Damon turned to see a horrified Matt barely standing, clutching his wrist. He couldn't blame him. Not long ago Damon had been standing on his neck, and Elena had been the one to save him. After he approached Matt and compelled him, Damon turned back around to Elena. He could tell she was desperately trying to hold back tears. "What have I done?"

"Nothing you should be ashamed of. You are a vampire now. You just have to learn the right way to be one. And I'm going to teach you." She nodded her head slowly, looking sadly into his eyes.

When Damon brought his hand up to touch the side of her face, she couldn't hold herself back anymore. Elena leapt up into his arms and started to sob. Damon was a bit taken back, but he wrapped his arms around her tightly as she whispered his name. "Damon..."

"Elena, it's going to be okay." He brought one hand to cradle the back of her head, as the other started to rub her back. She stirred a little in Damon's arms as he continued to whisper comforting shushes to her. Elena's sobs started to subside, and her breathing seemed to steady.

"Thank you, Damon. If you hadn't have been here..." She trailed off, not wanting to think what could have happened. Elena moved her chin off Damon's shoulder, and nuzzled closer into his body.

"Hey, hey...I told you, everything's going to be okay." He felt her nod into his shoulder. Elena seemed to stir a bit more, and then her inhaling started to become deeper. It took him a moment to realize that she was breathing in his scent. "Elena?"

He could feel her hot breath start to curl around his neck. "Damon, I..." He started to pull away slowly. As Damon looked into her eyes, he could see they were becoming dark again.

Damon looked at her confusingly. "Elena, what are you doing?"

"I'm sorry. I guess I'm just...still..." She trailed off, all the while staring at Damon's neck. It was then they heard the front door open, and they instinctively backed away from each other. Then, panic rose in Elena's eyes. "Jeremy."

"Shh, it's ok." Damon reached out and put his hands on Elena's shoulders. "Just stay calm." She bit her lip and nodded her head.

"Elena?"

She took a deep breath. "In here, Jer."

"Hey, I'm really beat, I'm going up to bed, k?"

"Yeah, ok, goodnight." She looked into Damon's eyes. He gave her a reassuring smile.

"Night," they heard Jeremy yell, before hearing his footsteps on the stairs.

Elena let her shoulders slump beneath Damon's hands. "I don't want to hurt him. What if I..." She really didn't want to finish her sentence.

"Elena, maybe you should come to the boarding house tonight."

She shook her head, letting her eyes drop to the floor. "I don't want Stefan to see me like this." Elena quickly looked up at him ashamed. She felt guilty for throwing his brother in his face.

Damon looked at her with a tight face. "What do you want, Elena?" It was a question with such a double edge.

She didn't really know what she wanted, but she knew what she needed. "Could you...stay here tonight? So...so, I don't do anything I'll regret."

Damon thought about exactly what she had said. Her answer held so much of what was unspoken between them. He just nodded.

After Damon had grabbed a bottle of Ric's hidden bourbon, they snuck up to Elena's bed room. They had both decided it was better if Jeremy didn't know that Damon was there. He couldn't help but feel like he was some sort of silly teenager sneaking up to his girlfriend's bedroom. Damon even had the alcohol to go with his little cliche.

Once inside her room, Damon went straight for the window seat. Elena closed her door and leaned against it. She carefully watched as Damon slid out of his jacket and unscrewed the lid off the Maker's Mark. He brought the bottle up to his lips and took a long drink. As he lowered it away from his lips, Damon noticed the way Elena was looking at him.

He tried to ignore it, but neither one of them could deny how the situation brought them back to a certain Denver motel room. Damon took a deep breath, and managed to plaster a fake smile on his lips. He held up the bottle, offering it to Elena.

She pushed herself away from the door, and in spite of herself, sauntered over a bit to Damon. Elena stood in front of him and excepted the bottle before backing up to sit down on the edge of her bed. She looked Damon in the eye as she mimicked his actions and brought the alcohol up to her lips.

Damon just looked at her and chuckled. She watched as he started to take his boots off and make himself comfortable on the window seat. "You're not going to sleep there, are you?"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Yeah, well...I wasn't really going to sleep..." He started to trail off. "I'm not really tired."

"I meant...well," Elena paused, and couldn't help but be a little confused. She expected some sort of smart ass comment or sexual innuendo, but Damon was being so calm. He seemed so far away. "Damon, you don't have to stay, if you don't want too," she said sadly.

"Elena, I'm not going anywhere. You need me to stay, and I'm staying."

"Ok, but you you don't have to stay on my window seat all night. I mean," she paused, trying to sound as casual as she could, "It's not like you've never slept in my bed before. I'm used to not being able to kick you out of it." Elena smirked at him, but it had no effect. "Damon, what's wrong? What is it?"

For a moment Damon just looked at her blankly, then he smiled. "Nothing. You're right." He came over and sat next to her, taking the bottle back and taking an extra long drink...longer than before.

Elena wanted to say something, ask why he was being so...so un-Damon, but decided against it. Instead she just smiled back, then got up and went to her dresser. She looked at Damon in the mirror, who wasn't looking at her. He was just staring straight ahead. Elena couldn't help but feel like she had done something to break him, because that's how he looked right now...broken.

"I'll be right back, ok?" He just kept looking in front of him, and nodded. Elena turned to take her sleeping clothes to the bathroom. Before she went in, she stole one more glance in his direction. All she managed to see was the back of Damon's head tip back as he took another long drink of bourbon.

When she reentered her room, Damon seemed a little more relaxed. He was on top of her covers, one hand beneath his head and the other laying lazily on his stomach. He was still staring up at the ceiling when Elena approached her bed.

For some reason she just didn't seem to feel like sliding under the covers, so she just laid on top of them as Damon did. He turned his head to look at her. Elena was laying on her side with one hand under her pillow. Damon watched as she brought her other hand over and laid it on top of his. He looked down at their hands on his stomach, and let out a sigh.

"Damon." She waited until his eyes were boring into hers before continuing. "I want to thank you for staying, for looking out for me, for always..." She trailed off and started to lace her fingers through his.

Damon brought his eyes down to look at their hands again. His breath was ragged as he spoke. "Elena, what are you doing?" When he brought his eyes back up to hers, he noticed she was no longer looking back into his.

"I'm not sure." Her eyes were now darting between his lips and his throat.

Damon was starting to feel her breath on his face. When he turned on his side to face her, she came closer. Elena brought herself up on her elbow and leaned down into his neck.

"Elena..." He felt her lips next to the vein in his neck. Just as he felt a light graze of teeth, he shot upwards and forced himself back against her headboard. "Elena!"

She looked up at him through hooded eyes, caught somewhere between hunger and lust. "Damon..." Elena slowly started to sit up and bring her legs underneath her. She looked like she was about to pounce on him. Damon couldn't tell if she wanted to feed from him, or rip his clothes off.

As much as his body was reacting, Damon knew it was wrong. He leaned forward and grabbed her shoulders. "Elena, you don't know what you're doing."

She let out a deep sigh. Elena seemed a little more aware of her actions, but her breath was still raspy. "I know, but I just can't stop. I feel like I don't want to. Damon," she whispered seriously, "Your blood..."

"Elena, you shouldn't be reacting this way to my blood." He cocked his head to one side, confused and concerned. "You couldn't even keep it down."

"Well...not exactly." Elena looked away from him. She looked sheepish, and her breathing was returning to normal.

Damon dropped his hands from her shoulders. "What do you mean _not_ _exactly_?"

"I tried to drink animal blood again...after drinking yours."

"_What_?" He made a disgusted face. "Why?"

"I was just so...so _hungry_. I thought that if I tried it again, it might not be as bad." Elena's face fell. "But it was, and...well, you know the rest."

"So, you can keep my blood down," he said quietly, and more to himself than to Elena. "Well, what about the blood bags?" Elena was surprised at how hopeful Damon sounded.

"I've tried. They don't work." She just shook her head. "What's wrong with me?"

Damon placed his hand under her chin and brought her face up to his. "I told you. You just need it from the vein."

Elena smiled at him before turning her head and letting her smile drop. "I think you're right. I'm just scared of hurting someone."

"Elena, look at me." Damon's tone was serious, and not in a comforting way. He sounded worried.

"What?"

"Look at me." Damon looked at her eyes. It was like he was looking for something. He was concentrating so hard that he didn't notice how swept up in his baby blues she was becoming. "Elena, is Matt's blood the only blood you've had since you turned?"

Elena nodded, then added, "And the little bit of yours I didn't throw up."

He frowned. "You know, I got punched the last time for this."

She started squirming a bit as he rolled up his sleeve. "Damon?"

"You need blood." He stopped and looked at Elena. Her eyes were starting to turn a bit black.

"Stefan said it meant something."

"I'm not going to lie, it's...something. I understand why Stefan got upset, but you haven't had enough blood. You may not be able to feel it, but your body is starving itself."

Damon steadied himself on the bed with one hand. He held out the other and offered Elena his wrist. This time he didn't bite it for her. Damon held in a breath as he watched her start to eye up his veins. Elena positioned herself until she was practically sitting in his lap.

Just as she had her both hands wrapped around his arm, he pulled his wrist back a little. "Elena, wait."

"What's the matter?" She now had a death grip on his arm, not wanting to let it go.

"Just remember...this...well, you just need blood."

Elena saw the look in his eyes, and sensed he was feeling a bit guilty about what they were about to do. However, at the minute, she just didn't seem to care. "I know."

"Tomorrow we'll start working on snatch, feed, erase. Ok?"

"Ok." Her breathing had become erratic, and she was squirming.

Damon brought his wrist back up and watched as Elena's eyes glazed over with darkness and ecstasy. He couldn't help but let out a small groan as Elena sunk her fangs into his skin. He let his eyes close as he felt her pull his warm liquid into her mouth. Elena let out a satisfied moan of her own as she swallowed Damon. He tasted just as good as the last time.

She pushed her body back towards him even more. It was no longer his hand holding him upright, but the side of Elena's body pushing him into her headboard. "Elena..." Damon felt another deep pull from her mouth before she broke away. She gasped for air she didn't really need, then let out a little whimper. Now Damon was the one to squirm a bit.

"Damon, please don't tell me to stop." Her words were filled with desperate need.

Damon couldn't help but smile. "It's ok," he whispered roughly in her ear, "Keep going." Elena's eyes almost rolled back in her head.

As she lowered her lips back down to the wound she had created, she felt Damon pull her back so she was flush against his chest. She couldn't help but let out a little moan. Elena moved one hand down and found Damon's hand on the bed, clutching the covers. She placed hers on top of his, and intertwined their fingers.

Finally Elena pulled her fangs out of Damon, but didn't pull her body away. She was still grasping Damon's arm as he lowered it and snaked it around her waist. He felt Elena relax into him, and in one motion he had them laying on their sides. Elena was about to say something, when she noticed that Damon had fallen fast asleep. She smiled to herself, and followed him soon after.

Elena woke up in the middle of the night, in Damon's arms. When she started to stir, he didn't seem to wake up. "Damon, are you awake? Damon?" When he didn't answer, or move at all, she got a little worried. Turning around, she started to shake him. "Damon!"

She was relieved when his eyes opened slightly. "Elena?" Damon seemed to be a little disorientated.

Elena couldn't help but think how amazing he looked, just waking up. His raven hair was ruffled, his eyes were a bit dazed, and cute little noises were escaping his lips. "Are you ok?"

Damon smiled at her. "Yeah, just almost forgot where I was."

"I thought maybe I took too much," she said apprehensively, then added, "of your blood."

"Well, you did take quite a bit...but you needed it." Damon tried to smirk at her reaction, but was too tired. "How are you feeling?"

"Better than I have been. How are you?"

"I'm fine," Damon said, closing his eyes and letting out a deep sigh.

Elena frowned. "No, your not. I took to much."

"Elena, it's ok," he said firmly. She just frowned and nodded. "You think you'll be ok if I take off?" She was sure she had drank enough blood not to lose control for the night, but for some reason she didn't want him to go. "Elena?"

"Do you think...could you just stay a little longer?"

He smiled. "Of course." Elena smiled back, and snuggled down to face him.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that asking Damon to stay wasn't entirely appropriate. Only, the part of her that wanted Damon to stay, the part that felt safe with him, felt protected...that part was louder, and ultimately won.

**/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/**

**To Be Continued... Chapter Two: Vampire Feeding 101**

**When Elena breaks the news to Stefan that his Bambi-diet isn't working, his reaction surprises her. Damon takes Elena on her first Vampire Feeding Lesson to an unexpected location. Finally, Elena is intrigued by the brother's behavior towards each other.**

**Remember... Reviews are love!**


	2. Vampire Feeding 101

"_Disclaimer: 1) a renunciation of any claim to or connection with; 2) a disavowal; 3) a statement made to save one's own ass" ~Kevin Smith, Dogma_

_In other words, we all know we don't anything TVD, we all wish we did...down to every last snarky comment (insert eye-thing and sexy smirk here)_

**A/N; Chapter one has been re-posted... Re-reading it isn't necessary. No major changes, just some grammatical errors and the chapter has been renamed (The Blood Share).**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and is now following this story. I really appreciate it, and I hope you like this chapter as much as the last. Happy Reading!**

**Previously on Giving Into You..._"You think you'll be ok if I take off?" She was sure she had drank enough blood not to lose control for the night, but for some reason she didn't want him to go. "Elena?"_**

"_**Do you think...could you just stay a little longer?"**_

_**He smiled. "Of course." Elena smiled back, and snuggled down to face him.**_

_**Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that asking Damon to stay wasn't entirely appropriate. Only, the part of her that wanted Damon to stay, the part that felt safe with him, felt protected...that part was louder, and ultimately won.**_

**/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/**

**Giving Into You**

_You found your way under my skin, and I'm trying not to love you  
But I hate the way I keep on giving into you, like I always do  
No matter how I try  
Or maybe could it be, that you're the part of me, that's keeping me alive?_

_~Break this Spell, Daughtry_

**Chapter Two: Vampire Feeding 101**

It was still early when Damon had finally left. Elena hadn't noticed he was leaving until she heard the window open. For a while, she had just laid there, replaying the night's events in her head. After falling asleep for a few more hours, she awoke to see a text message from Stefan.

A twinge of guilt ricocheted through her. She remembered the last time Stefan had learned that she fed from Damon. He had been upset of course, but he had seemed angrier than anything else. Elena stared at her phone, knowing that a lot more had gone on between her and Damon than her simply feeding from him.

When she finally opened the text, Elena let out a groan. He wanted to go hunting. That gave her all the courage she needed, and a few hours later Elena was in the boarding house having a talk with Stefan.

She started by explaining the hunger that overtook her the night before, how Damon had to pull her off of Matt, and how she needed to learn to feed and control it. Elena had left out the parts where she had drank from Damon again, and how he had stayed half the night...in her bed. The look on his face when she explained that she needed Damon's help to teach her how to feed was bad enough.

"Stefan, I just can't keep the animal blood down, and the blood bags don't seem to work either," Elena continued to explain.

Stefan let out a sigh through his tight smile. "So...Damon?"

"Stefan," she said firmly, cocking her head to the side.

"No, I get it. You want to learn to feed from the vein." His voice seemed dry and his expression stoic. "That's not exactly something I can teach you."

"Thank you for understanding." she said, hoping it would draw out some kind of real understanding.

"Sure thing." It seemed to work...for a moment. "Hey, what about Caroline? Why can't she teach you?"

"Because, dear brother, she drinks from blood bags. Elena needs blood from the vein, and she needs to learn that way." Stefan seemed annoyed when his brother came into the living room without warning, or invitation. Damon lowered his voice and spoke a little more gentle. "Look at her eyes."

Elena looked confused. Stefan narrowed his brows, his famous brooding line cutting his forehead in two. He stepped towards her and looked closely at her eyes, just the way Damon had the night before. "Oh," he sighed, then he looked at Elena with concern. "I'm so sorry, Elena. I didn't see it."

"Stefan, what's the matter?"

"Your body, it's..."

"It's starving itself," Damon added. Stefan turned around to glance at Damon. There seemed to be no more annoyance between them.

Elena looked confused, and it quickly turned to irritation. "I don't think I understand. I feel ok. I mean I'm hungry, but I don't feel sick or anything."

"New vampires can't tell the difference. Fortunately," Damon said with a little bit of hesitation, "The blood lust allows them to get enough, so it's rarely a problem." Stefan shifted uncomfortably. He almost seemed embarrassed.

Damon went to the drink cart and overturned three glasses, filling each one with a generous amount of alcohol. He balanced all three in his hands, then walked over to the couple still standing in the middle of the room.

As Damon handed his brother a drink, Stefan looked at him sincerely and said, "Thank you." Elena's eyes darted between them, watching their interaction unfold. She could tell that Stefan wasn't thanking Damon for the bourbon.

At first, Damon gave him a genuine smile, but then it turned a bit tight. "Yeah, well, you looked like you could use a drink." He smirked. "Both of you." He held out the other glass for Elena to take.

She just looked at it, then back up to Damon. "I feel fine."

"Elena, you're not fine." Stefan said, taking the drink from Damon and putting it into Elena's hands. Her eyes darted between them once more. They both seemed to be staring her down. She decided to give in, and took a nice long drink.

Satisfied, Damon started to walk back to the drink cart, finishing all the alcohol in his glass on the way. He spoke as he poured himself another drink. "You should stay here tonight. Fancy ring or not, you might not want to be around Jeremy until you get some blood in your system. We'll start tomorrow morning."

"I have school."

Damon looked at Stefan, who turned back to Elena. "Damon's right, you need to learn to feed, to control it. You need blood."

Damon came around and sat on the couch in front of them. He spent the rest of the day finishing off a bottle of bourbon, watching Stefan help Elena get caught up on school work. Elena was amazed at how knowledgeable Damon actually was. Every now and then, Stefan would pause to remember some history date or science fact. After a moment of silence, or an annoying humming of the Jeopardy theme song, Damon would chime in nonchalantly with the answer.

Stefan and Elena headed to bed early, barely talking. Elena was exhausted. She feel asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. In the morning, her and Stefan were abruptly awaken by Damon yelling loudly at the bottom of the stairs. Stefan let out an annoyed groan, and fell back onto his pillow. Elena just laughed, and got up to get dressed.

A few hours later, Damon and Elena were walking on fresh cut grass. The sun was bright, but it didn't feel especially warm to Elena. Damon had been unusually silent. "Should we really be doing this in the daylight?"

"Nervous?" He teased her. Elena was glad that even though he was quiet, he still had that comforting playfulness.

She let out a deep breath, and looked at him with honest eyes. "Yeah."

All his snark melted away, and she could see his concern for her show. "Don't be. You'll be fine."

"Damon, what if I'm a ripper?" He swiftly stopped, and turned her around to face him. Damon cradled her face in his hands like he had done so many times before.

"Elena, I'll be right here. I won't let you do anything."

She saw the sincerity pouring from his ocean eyes, and started to feel more at ease. She nodded, then they both continued walking. "So, why the cemetery?"

"People come to be alone. Plus, there's a nice little walking path right past it." Elena knew exactly the one he was talking about.

"Come here." They both moved behind a rather large headstone, and Damon positioned himself so he could whisper in her ear. "Over there. See her?" Elena followed his pointed finger, trying not to shudder at the hot breath coiling at the nape of her neck. "She's taking a nice leisurely little walk, all by herself. Perfect target. Now listen. Do you hear anyone else nearby?" Elena shook her head. She could feel Damon smirk behind her. "Well, then...you're all set."

Elena's body started to tense. "I don't know if I can do this."

"Elena, you need blood." He could feel the hesitation in her voice, and her body. Damon sighed. "How about this..." He grabbed her hand, and started pulling her through the cemetery towards the walking path.

"What are we doing?" Elena choked out in a nervous whisper.

"Pulling the band aid off. Excuse me, Miss?"

"Yes?" The woman turned around, only to be met with the eyes of a compelling vampire.

"You're not going to scream. You're not afraid. You're going to come with me." All she did was nod, and let Damon lead her off the path. He immediately pushed her up against a tree. "Now, I promise this won't hurt." Damon added with a smirk, "You might even like it a little."

"Damon?" Elena squeaked from behind him. He still had his hand tightly gripping hers. "Damon?" He ignored her, and leaned down to bite into the woman's neck.

When he pulled away, Elena's eyes went straight from the wound to Damon's face. She never remembered being so drawn into his vampire features the way she was now. His fangs were out and blood was on his lips, but his eyes were as crystal blue as ever.

Damon released Elena's hand and stepped aside. He had a sexy grin in place. "After you."

She took a deep breath, then bent down to the woman's neck and began to drink from the wound Damon had created. Elena managed to keep her eyes normal for about two seconds before letting the darkness overtake them. She pulled back briefly before diving back in and creating a wound of her own.

Damon saw she was getting a bit carried away and stepped behind her. As soon as she felt Damon's strong hands on her hips, she released the woman's neck.

Damon leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Now, we heal her a bit." He bit his wrist, bringing it in front of Elena's face and up to their victim's mouth. When Damon pulled it away, he couldn't help but notice how Elena's eyes followed his bloody wrist. "Then, we erase," he whispered into her ear again, "Go ahead, try it."

Elena brought her eyes up the woman's and started to compel her. "You won't remember anything that just happened. You were walking, a couple asked you for directions, then you kept going on your way." The woman nodded, and started to walk away.

Damon was still behind Elena, one hand still on her hip. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I think I am."

"Ready to try it on your own?" She shook her head. Damon frowned. "You sure you're ok?"

Elena nodded, then turned around to face him. "I'm fine, Damon. It's not as bad as I thought it would be."

"Well, you've fed from Matt. How did you think it would be any different?" He raised his eyebrows, asking honestly.

She looked away thoughtfully, then back to Damon. "I guess I just thought I would feel guilty, you know, taking it from someone who wasn't willing to give it to me."

"But you weren't?" His eyebrows were a bit furrowed as he spoke. His head was slightly cocked in confusion, and just the slightest bit of intrigue.

"No. I wasn't." Elena looked surprised at her own confession. Then, her face fell. "But, I wish I did."

Damon made a face at her. "You wish you felt guilty?"

"Yes. I feel like I should feel guilty." She started to pace around a bit. Her movements seemed to match her unsettling mood. "And I don't think I should be ok with all this. I don't _like_ being ok with all this..._any_ of this. I mean, if I don't feel guilty, what does that make me?" Elena realized she seemed like she was rambling, but she wasn't. She was speaking her mind. "Everyone keeps telling me it'll get better...easier. But do I really want it to? Because I feel like it shouldn't. I shouldn't want it to be _easier_."

Damon wasn't sure how much more of her little heart pouring he should listen to. He didn't really enjoy listening to her giving herself a moral guilt trip, and somewhere in the back of his mind he couldn't help but wonder why she was telling him all this when she should probably be telling Stefan. "Elena..."

"Damon, I hate not feeling guilty. I hate it." she stopped pacing, and stood to look at him sadly. "I'm scared that if I let it get too easier, that I'll become like..." Elena quickly cut herself off. She gave him a shameful expression.

"Like who Elena? A ripper like Stefan? Or maybe something worse. Maybe like me?"

"Damon, that's not what I was going to say."

"What _were_ you going to say?" Elena opened her mouth, but no words came out. She watched Damon tilt his head and gave her a sad look. "Come on, let's go. We should get you back to Stefan."

"Damon!" She yelled after him. For a moment she thought he was going to turn around, but he just kept walking. She took a deep breath and followed him in silence, keeping a few steps behind him all the way back to the boarding house.

When they returned, Stefan was standing behind the drink cart. "She's all yours," Damon said flatly, and when straight upstairs.

Stefan's questioning gaze followed Damon until he was out of sight, then he softly looked at Elena. "How did it go?"

"It went ok..." Elena trailed off, sitting on the couch in front of him.

"Elena." Stefan drawled out her name deliberately, and knowingly.

She didn't meet his eyes when she finally answered. "Damon had to help me." Stefan looked confused, but had a frown on his face.

"So, it didn't go that well?"

Elena slumped back into the couch, letting out an exasperated sigh. "I don't know."

Stefan was about to say something, when they both heard Damon bounding down the stairs. He had changed. Stefan turned to give him another quizzical look. "It actually went quite well, brother." Stefan rolled his eyes at him as Damon grabbed the glass out of his hand and downed it's contents. "Right on track."

Elena shot her head up from off the back of the couch and looked at Damon like he had gone crazy. Then, she proceed to glare at Stefan's next comment. "So, Elena's just being hard on herself then?" Stefan gave her a smirk that could rival Damon's, and she just glared harder.

"Isn't she always?" Damon avoided her staring daggers at him by pouring himself some bourbon into Stefan's glass. "I blame you, you know." He gave Stefan a poke in the shoulder, drink in hand. When he had once again downed the alcohol, he refilled it and handed it back to his brother.

Stefan couldn't help but chuckle at his brother. Elena gave up her stares and turned away from them. "So, when are you going out again?" Stefan asked like it was something she did with Damon all the time. Elena whipped her head back around.

Had she stepped into an alternative universe where Stefan was ok with her spending time alone with Damon? For some reason she didn't understand, he seemed ok with it now. Let alone, wanting her to go out and learn to drink blood from walking humans. Damon was obviously feeling her sentiments, but was a little more vocal about it.

"Are you drunk?" He leered.

Stefan just grinned, which made Damon's eyebrows crease together more. "What? I can't be on board with the new plan?"

Elena smiled at Stefan's good mood, while Damon just glared at him. "Give me that," he said, taking the glass that Stefan had just brought to his lips away from him. Stefan rolled his eyes as Damon took his drink to stand next to the fireplace. "Actually, I thought we'd go back out tonight?"

Elena gave Damon's words careful consideration. When she turned to Stefan, he had his eyebrows raised like he was waiting for her answer. Her eyes moved between the Salvatore brothers one more time before finally answering. "Fine. Tonight. Where are we going this time?"

"It's a surprise," he said, before leaving the room as quickly as he had entered. "Look pretty," he yelled from the stairs. Elena looked at Stefan, who just shrugged.

**/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/**

**To Be Continued... Chapter Three: Unexpectedly Understood **

**For their second lesson, Damon takes Elena to a bar outside of Mystic Falls. After Damon gives Elena some tips on picking out who to bite, their conversation turns extremely personal. Finally, Damon is thrown for a loop by Elena's actions.**

**Reviews are love, and all you need is love!**


	3. Unexpectedly Understood

"_Disclaimer: 1) a renunciation of any claim to or connection with; 2) a disavowal; 3) a statement made to save one's own ass" ~Kevin Smith, Dogma_

_In other words, we all know we don't anything TVD, we all wish we did...down to every last snarky comment (insert eye-thing and sexy smirk here)_

**A/N; Warning... another super long A/N... you know the drill, skip to "Happy Reading" to get to the good stuff...**

**Ok, so, I just can't start my Author's Note with anything but, 4x07 OMG! My first thought is how defiled I felt... it finally happens, and they couldn't even wait until it was over to ruin it, they had to debase my Delena in the middle of it? Really? That was almost as bad as the 3x22 phone call... HOWEVER, after reading some tumbler posts and JP's Zap 2 it interview, then reading some more tumbler's... I've come to replace _defiled_ with _bittersweet_... If you need to feel better about 4x07, then read them... they will make you feel tons better, and if that doesn't work... seek out the re-cut video of just the Delena scenes on YouTube (it's S-Mazing!) Seek out the video either way :)**

**Now that my rant is off my chest and out of the way... Thank you again to everyone following this story... also to everyone who has added it to their favorite list, and all the lovely reviews :)**

**So, I know Stefan is acting a little OOC... as of now, I don't really have a good enough explanation for you yet... all I can say is that I think it make sense in later chapters... (I actually think Damon and Elena are OOC too, but I'm loving it... so, just go with it and consider this my OOC fic)**

**I really enjoyed exploring Damon's thoughts on "victim's" and feeding in this chapter... I'd really love some feed back on it... I'm also, really excited about the next chapter... I LOVED writing it... very steamy! **

**Until then, Happy Reading!**

**Previously on Giving Into You... _"Actually, I thought we'd go back out tonight?"_**

_**Elena gave Damon's words careful consideration. When she turned to Stefan, he had his eyebrows raised like he was waiting for her answer. Her eyes moved between the Salvatore brothers one more time before finally answering. "Fine. Tonight. Where are we going this time?"**_

"_**It's a surprise," he said, before leaving the room as quickly as he had entered. "Look pretty," he yelled from the stairs. Elena looked at Stefan, who just shrugged.**_

**/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/**

**Giving Into You**

_How am I supposed to break this spell you got me under  
I'm so addicted to the pain  
Got your poison running through my veins_

_~Break this Spell, Daughtry_

**Chapter Three: Unexpectedly Understood**

After a while, Elena couldn't help but ask Stefan if he was ok with the whole thing. He said he was, and truly seemed to be. He had asked why she looked so worried, but Elena just brushed it off. They had spent a little more time together in the living room before Damon had yelled at her to start getting ready.

Finally, Damon and Elena were in his Camaro. After they had been driving for a while, she asked, "So, where are we going?"

"A little ways out of town."

"Why?"

Damon eyed her sideways. "It might be easier if you're not in a familiar setting. So, we're going to take you our of your comfort zone." Elena felt a slight flutter in her chest, and didn't really understand why.

The rest of the drive Elena sat there silently, staring out the window. Even though she was dressed in sexy skinny jeans and a provocative top..._bait_, as Damon called her...she still felt like she was on her way to a dentist appointment. Her eyes grew a bit wide when Damon pulled into a dimly lit parking lot, where a free standing building read "The Southern Hollow".

"A bar?" Elena said surprised, although she thought she probably shouldn't be.

"Great pick up place. You know, meals...ladies," he smirked. She just rolled her eyes, and got out of the car.

"This kind of looks like a dive."

"Oh, it is." Damon shut his car door, and took in a deep breath. "But they have free pool. Have you gotten any better at it?"

"Why do you think I suck at pool?"

Damon just laughed, and took her by the hand. "Come on, let's see if you can compel yourself a drink."

Less than an hour later, they were both leaning back against the bar, scanning the room. Elena had picked out a few guys, but Damon had turned them all down. He gave various reasons for each and she had rolled her eyes for each reason, but she had to admit that they did make sense.

One was too tall, so he would be too much of an effort to reach up and bite. Damon teased that the next one had hair that was too much like Stefan's, then told her he was hanging out with too many people. Elena picked one stumbling to the bathroom, and Damon told her to try again. She asked what that had to do with anything.

Elena was getting frustrated. "Why don't you just pick one for me?"

Damon cocked his head, and softened his voice. "Believe it or not, you're doing better than you think." He sighed at the look on her face. "Why don't you try again."

She halfheartedly looked out into the crowd one more time. "How about him?"

"You don't go grocery shopping much, do you?"

"I give up," she said exasperated, throwing her hands up in the air, and finally turning back around to face the bar.

Damon chuckled at her frustration, but turned away from the crowd to sit closer to her at the bar. "Ok. I'm sorry. Pop quiz over. How about I give you some tips that I've learned over the years."

"Finally, something helpful."

"First, you're going about it all wrong. You're just looking for someone to bite." Elena turned to look at him. He seemed to be taking it very serious now. "But it's more than that."

"What do you mean?" Damon was starting to intrigue her.

"Well, first remember that whoever you choose, your going to have to get close to. There's going to be physical contact, so don't pick anyone who you wouldn't want to touch. It's as if you're picking out the perfect piece of fruit."

She glanced at him incredulously. "Excuse me?"

"No, stay with me on this." Damon turned her bar stool to face him. "You wouldn't eat some banged up piece, with bruises all over it."

"Damon, what does this even..." Elena had interrupted him. He just ignored her, and abruptly cut her off.

"Or," he continued slowly, his words dripping with sensuality, "Do you want a nice and juicy, ripe red strawberry?" Elena sat there wondering how Damon's words seemed so seductive. She didn't realize she had zoned out until Damon brought her back. "Elena," he said in a sing-song tone, "Still with me?"

"Yeah." She quickly nodded, hoping he hadn't notice the way her eyes had fell to his lips. "You just make it seem so..."

"Sexual." His baby blues were like a pair of hot blue flames staring into her. Damon then gave her his classic eye wiggle. Now they both knew he was teasing her on purpose.

Elena turned her bar stool away from him, and faced the bar again. She was now hoping that he wasn't noticing the blush rising in her checks. "Damon."

He just let out a dark little chuckle. "Well, it is physical. No getting around that. Think of it like this...if you've ever wanted to play out a fantasy, when you feed is the perfect time." Elena glanced at him sideways, but he was facing the bar again. "It's fun, and it makes things a little smoother for all involved. Plus, no one will ever judge you, because you were just feeding."

"You make it sound like cheating."

He turned to her again. This time, he got closer. Damon's eyes were burning into hers again. Elena could barely stand his intense gaze. "Well, it's intimate."

"Like blood sharing?" Something hung in the air between them. Damon looked away.

"Not quite like that." After a moment, he looked back to meet Elena's stare. This time, it was her eyes that had the fire in them. She looked like she wanted to talk about what had happened between them the other night on her bed. Damon quickly started talking again. "Just remember, you are sinking your fangs into someone. See, it's not just about the feed. It's also about the experience."

Her eyes shifted away with annoyance. "Damon, I don't want to have an _experience_ for blood."

"Elena, just for once, put your righteousness away and trust what I'm telling you. I know you don't want it to be easy, but the more emotional you make it...the less likely you'll be to kill someone."

She gaped at him. It made complete sense to her now. Elena was looking at everyone in the bar like walking happy meals. If she did that, then of course she would lose control. But, if she listened to Damon and made some kind of bond with them, then she'd be less likely to take too much. All she had to do was get herself past the part where she needed to take advance of them.

Elena noticed Damon was staring at her. She took a deep breath. "Ok. So, how do you...not feel sorry for them?" Damon looked at her and started to think. She was proud of herself for asking a good question.

"Well, I guess that's the fine line of it all. How do you make it personal enough so you leave them breathing, but detach yourself enough to take what you want." Elena thought about what he said. Their night was quickly becoming deeper and more sub-textual than she had expected.

"How do you?" she asked honestly. Damon looked like he was hesitating a bit. "I need to learn."

"Ok, fine. When I pick someone, it's usually a woman. Someone pretty. Someone I actually wouldn't mind having a real drink with. There's usually flirting, and then I tell them they'll like it. It feels more like a hook up then a meal, so it makes it little less personal. But, I'm attached enough that I don't bleed them dry. I don't know, it just works for me...but we need to find what works for you." When he looked back at Elena, her eyes seemed to be sparkling. "What? Too much detail?"

"No. Just enough." She smiled lightly.

Damon smiled back. "Alright. So, why don't you try one more time. Pick one."

She started looking around the room again, only this time she felt like she was really seeing the people in it. Elena looked around for a while. Her eyes finally came to rest on a guy at the end of the bar. He was leaning on one elbow, knocking back a few shots. He also seemed to be scanning the room. The guy wore a black leather jacket and had just the tiniest hint of a five o'clock shadow. His skin was pale, but his eyes were as dark as his jacket.

"What about him?" Damon caught the coy little smile on her face, and his eyes crinkled together.

He followed her gaze, and took in the victim she had chosen. "Yeah, I guess he'll do." Elena could have sworn something caught in his throat.

"Really?" she questioned him. He didn't seem sure.

"Yeah," he said, giving her a half-smile. "Go ahead. Go talk to him." Elena bit her lip and slid next to her prey.

Damon watched them for a couple of minutes. The guy bought her a shot, she laughed, then leaned into him to whisper something. When the guy pulled back, he looked straight in Elena's eyes. Damon didn't need to see Elena to know that she was compelling him.

They got up to leave, and Damon couldn't keep his eyes off the back of the guy's head. His emotions were just a bit twisted. He followed them out of the bar, all the while taking in her victim's messy, black raven locks.

**/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/**

**To Be Continued... Chapter Four: Blood, Tears, and Dark Alleyways**

**Damon's teaching goes slightly askew when Elena starts displaying confusing and disturbing behavior. After Damon is pushed into giving in to a steamy situation, the mood of the evening shifts. As the night ends, it leaves them both reeling, finally ending in unexpected tears.**

**Remember, every author loves reviews... I plan on posting the next chapter in a day or two... I'm really excited for everyone to read the next chapter :)**


	4. Blood, Tears, and Dark Alleys

"_Disclaimer: 1) a renunciation of any claim to or connection with; 2) a disavowal; 3) a statement made to save one's own ass" ~Kevin Smith, Dogma_

_In other words, we all know we don't anything TVD, we all wish we did...down to every last snarky comment (insert eye-thing and sexy smirk here)_

**A/N; So, last chapter...you like? Hmm...what did you think of Elena's "choice"? Leather jacket, pale skin, full head of black tendrils... way to F with his head, huh? Can't wait for you to see what happens next :) More OOC, especially from Elena, so I'd love some feed back... Happy Reading!**

**Previously on Giving Into You... _"Go ahead. Go talk to him." Elena bit her lip and slid next to her prey._**

_**Damon watched them for a couple of minutes. The guy bought her a shot, she laughed, then leaned into him to whisper something. When the guy pulled back, he looked straight in Elena's eyes. Damon didn't need to see Elena to know that she was compelling him.**_

_**They got up to leave, and Damon couldn't keep his eyes off the back of the guys head. His emotions were just a bit twisted. He followed them out of the bar, all the while taking in her victim's messy, raven black locks.**_

**/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/**

**Giving Into You**

_The way you pull me in, the way you chew me up, the way you spit me out  
I keep coming back, I can't get enough  
I can't go without you_

_~Break this Spell, Daughtry_

**Chapter Four: Blood, Tears, and Dark Alleys**

When Damon got to the alley, Elena had her back against the wall. He cocked his head wondering what she was doing. It looked like she was still compelling the guy. He was standing in front of her, with one hand on her hip. Damon felt his own jaw clench a bit.

He moved quietly behind them. Damon watched as Elena brought a hand up to the guy's chest and slowly ran it up to his shoulder. She pulled him a little closer, and lowered her head to his neck. Elena's eyes peeked up and looked past her prey, and landed straight to Damon's bright blue eyes.

Damon watched her hover for a moment, then lift her head to breath next to the guy's ear. She brought a hand up and ran it through the hair on the nape of his neck. Damon was transfixed on what was going on in front of him. He was about to intervene when he saw her eyes go dark and her fangs extend.

Elena lowered her head back down to the guy's neck, her eyes never leaving Damon's. He heard her breath quicken. Then, without warning, her head shot back up to look at the prey in front of her. Damon clearly heard her say, "Go back inside. Forget all about this. We never met."

Damon gaped at her. "Elena, what the hell? Why did you..."

"I'm too hungry, Damon," she practically barked out. "I was afraid if I started, I wouldn't be able..."

He blinked a few times, then came up to her. Damon took a deep breath and managed a small smile. He made his voice gentle, and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Hey, it's ok. That's good."

"How is that good?" she snapped, although upset was overtaking her frustration.

Damon remained calm and comforting. "Because, you can identify it."

Elena nodded, trying to smile. After a few deep breaths, she asked, "What now?"

"Do you want to try it together again?" She didn't answer.

"Maybe if we...maybe if I had some more of your blood in my system, then maybe..." She looked down shyly.

"Elena, do you really think that's..."

Damon was speaking slowly and carefully when Elena forcefully cut him off. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up. It's stupid. I know."

"It's not...stupid." She looked up at him. "It actually makes sense, but..."

"But we can't, because it's _personal_." She seemed a littleannoyed. "What does that even mean? I don't get it, you fed me your blood the other night."

"Elena, calm down." She hadn't noticed but she had turned them both around and was pushing Damon's shoulders into the hard brick wall. Elena immediately released him and backed away. She was now standing in the middle of the alley.

"I'm sorry, I don't..." she trailed off.

He peeled himself off the wall to stand a little closer to her. "Elena, it's ok. You're just...hungry."

"I said I'm sorry," she snapped, turning away from him. That had to be it. She was just hungry, she thought to herself. Elena tried to ignore the instinct that was crawling over her entire being. It was the need to feel the sensation of Damon's intimate contact.

"Elena..." The sound of Damon's comforting voice made her turn back around to face him, before quickly cutting him off once more.

"Damon, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you." She ran both hands through her hair. "What is wrong with me?"

"Hey, hey...stop that." He pulled her into a tight embrace. Elena's body reacted as soon as she felt his strong arms envelope her. Her head was nuzzled right into Damon's neck. After a few moments, he could feel her lips start to part and her fangs slowly extend. "Elena..."

"I know!" Elena ferociously pulled out of his arms. Her body shook slightly. She was now on the verge on tears. "I'm sorry," she whispered in a lost voice.

Something in him snapped. Elena's want for him filled his head with conflicting emotions, and Damon couldn't hold back. All he wanted to do was give in to her. Damon's earlier advice about feeding was echoing around his head. He knew it was wrong, but tried to cover it up with horrible justification.

"Ok, new rule." He quickly invaded her personal space, and continued until she stumbled back a bit. "No more apologies. Not with me." Damon continued backing her up until she hit the alley wall. Elena thought she couldn't move back any further, until he pushed her harder into the wall.

She let out a breathy whisper. "Damon, what are you doing?"

"Giving you what you want," he told her roughly.

"What?" Her eyes went wide. Elena knew that look. It was the same one she gave him in her bedroom a few night's ago. She sucked in a shaky breath, and closed her eyes. She opened them when she heard the familiar sound of punctured flesh. Damon had bit his wrist and was holding it up to her.

Her hands shot up to grab his arm, but she was stopped. Damon roughly grabbed her wrists and held them above her head. Elena let out a gasp as he pushed them into the brick above her. He slowly brought his wrist in front of her and up to her mouth. Damon kept his eyes on her, and she stared as long as she could until letting darkness invade her eyes. After that, she had to close them.

Elena took a deep breath and let her tongue dart over the wound before piercing him with her fangs. She barely registered the shallow pant from Damon's lips. He gripped her wrists tighter. In return, she sunk her fangs deeper. The warm pull from his wrist was heavenly, and Damon desperately tried to remember why they were really doing this.

Finally, he loosened his grip and let her arms go. Elena let them drop by her sides and immediately stopped drinking. "Damon?" He stepped away. Her body instinctively wanted to follow his, but she stayed frozen with her back against the wall.

"You ready to try it again?" All Elena could do was give Damon a glazed over look. He took a couple of deep breaths before he held out his hand. "Let's go back inside."

She reluctantly took his hand and let him lead her out of the alley. They dropped hands before entering the bar. Once inside, Elena lingered by the door. Damon didn't. He went straight to the bar. Elena watched as he ordered one shot, then another.

He turned around to find Elena still hanging around the front of the bar. She looked lost. Damon gave her a tight smile, and she just gave him sad eyes. Finally, he tipped his head, motioning her to come join him. Elena slowly walked towards Damon.

Once she got to the bar, Damon ordered two shots. He slid one to her. Elena just held it in her hand, staring at it. "You're supposed to drink it." She placed the drink back on the bar in front of him. The look she was giving him was heated and intense. Damon sighed deeply. "What is it, Elena?"

Elena narrowed her eyebrows at him in shock. She sighed and closed her eyes. "Damon, we haven't talked about...anything...everything."

"And we're not going to." He gave her a firm glare, then another tight smile. "Now, why don't you try to pick again. Maybe this time..." Damon never finished his sentence.

She once again brought her eyebrows together, but this time it was in irritation. Damon went to grab the alcohol in front of him, but Elena beat him to it. She threw the shot back, and gave him a daggered look. Elena glanced out into the crowd. "Them."

Damon looked at her curiously. "Them?" He followed her line of sight and saw a couple sitting on bar stools behind a pool table. Damon looked back at Elena, who for some reason looked like she was pouting. "They look good. Let's go."

Elena pushed herself away from the bar, and started to saunter to the pool tables. As Damon watched her, he shook his head. The evening was turning into a train wreck. He was torn between calling it a night, and letting the night truly crash and burn. As soon as the guy left the table, Elena wasted no time making eye contact with the girl. Too late now, Damon thought.

"We're good friends, and haven't seen each other in a very long time. Your really excited to see me." Damon saw the girl's face light up. When her boyfriend returned, Damon watched Elena compel him as well. "I'm an old friend of your girlfriend. We should all get out of here, and go somewhere to catch up. We can take your car."

He watched as the couple gathered their things, and walked with Elena to the door. She wasn't looking him in the eye. "What do you think you're doing?" Damon quietly asked her when she walked past him.

"Does it matter?" She turned to finally look at him. "Are you coming?"

Damon and Elena stayed a few feet behind the couple as they left the bar. They were half way through the parking lot when Damon broke the silence. "You're good at this." Elena's eyes darted to Damon. She had a blank expression on her face. "A little to good." He frowned.

When they got to the car, Damon took a glance around them. Satisfied no one else was around, he picked up where Elena left off. He managed to catch the guy's gaze first. "Hold still, and don't speak. She'll be with you in a minute." His girlfriend had a confused look on her face, but it dropped as soon as Damon caught her eyes. "Don't scream. Don't speak. Don't run. Don't move."

Elena was standing a few feet away. "Damon, wait," she whispered timidly. He just ignored her.

She jumped back a bit when Damon roughly pushed the girl up against the car. Her stomach dropped as he brought a hand up and raked it through the back of her hair, seductively smiling at his prey. "Trust me, you're going to love this."

He slowly brought his mouth down to the girl's neck. Right before he bit her, he suddenly turned her around and pulled her back flush against his chest. Elena watched as Damon bit the girl's neck from behind. Her stomach further dropped as the girl's face blazed with ecstasy.

Without a second thought, Elena ran to the girl's boyfriend. She looked at his neck, then straight in the eyes. "Go back inside. You forgot your coat. Go find it."

Damon looked up long enough to share a daggered look with Elena, before he went back to feeding on his victim. Something started to stir in Elena. She wasn't sure what it was, but in that second she decided she didn't care. In a flash of fangs, she was feeding from the other side of the girl's neck.

One of Damon's hands was on the girl's shoulder. He felt Elena's body press up against his arm that was snaked around their victim's waist. Damon pulled his fangs out when he felt Elena touch his hand on the girl's shoulder. He pulled back to watch her feed.

"That's enough." He could hear the girl's heartbeat slowing. "Elena." Damon caressed her cheek, and she released the girl. Elena backed up. After healing her, Damon turned her around to Elena. "Would you mind?"

Elena looked into the girl's eyes. "Go back inside and find your boyfriend. Your friends left. Besides you don't remember what they looked like, and you don't know what happened after you came outside."

The girl started walking back to the bar, and Elena started looking around for Damon. She saw him slumped against his Camaro. As she started to walk towards him, a new emotion started to rise inside her. She didn't know what it was, because she had never felt it before. It felt like seeing a brand new color for the first time. All she did know, was that is was consuming.

"Well, that really didn't go as planned," Damon said without looking up. Elena felt frozen. When he finally did look up at her, an unreadable expression painted his face. "Are you mad at me?"

"What?"

"Nothing." He pushed himself off the car and started to walk around to the driver's side. "Forget it."

"I'm not mad at you. I'm just mad. You didn't do anything." Elena was still rooted to the spot she was standing. Damon looked at her with narrowed eyes. "I'm just mad," she repeated, shrugging.

"We should get going." Damon opened his car door, but her voice stopped him from getting in.

"Are you mad?" Elena finally was able to mover her feet. She ran over and Damon met her eyes across the hood of the car. "At me...are you mad at me?"

He gave her a warm smile. "No, of course not." They shared one more strained look before both climbing into the car.

It had been a long day, and it had turned into an even longer night. Elena was absolutely exhausted. She was mentally drained, physically tired, and more than anything her emotions were stretched too thin.

Damon and her hadn't talked since they had gotten in the car. She desperately wanted to talk to him, but was too tired. Plus, Elena didn't know what say. She prayed he did. Elena got her wish when Damon finally broke the silence.

"You did good."

"Only because you were there." Her tone was one of defeated honesty, but she managed to smile.

"Elena, we need to talk." Damon let out a deep long sigh. Elena was starting to suspect that he was just as weary as she was. There were several moments of silence before he spoke again. "I'm supposed to be teaching you how to feed. You're never going to learn if we keep doing it together. Your going to have to learn to feed by yourself."

Her voice was small and quiet. "I know."

"And..." It looked as if he was struggling to say what he wanted to say. "I shouldn't feed you my blood anymore."

"I know that too."

"Do you?" Elena didn't answer, she just turned her head to look out the window. "Ok. So, for our next little lesson...the training wheels are coming off. Deal?" Damon looked over to see the back of her head nod in agreement. "Alright, so where to?"

"Home."

"Yours or mine?" He smirked a bit.

She let out a sigh, and continued to look out the window. "Mine."

If Elena had turned around, she would have seen the pained expression on Damon's face. She wouldn't have been able to miss the tight line that crossed his lips, or the way his eyebrows were arched in upset. After a while, Damon turned up the radio to drown out the deafening silence between them.

They pulled up to her house, and both got out of the car. He was a step behind her the whole way up her sidewalk. Just before they reached the steps of her porch Damon grabbed her arm, and turned her to face him. "Elena, whatever happened tonight...I'm sorry."

"Damon, I told you, you didn't do anything."

"Well, I feel like I did. Look, I know you hate all this...being a vampire...and feeding." Damon realized he was still gripping her arm, so he let go. He let a small sigh escape his lips. "And I know my way was a bust."

Elena nearly interrupted him, "No, Damon it wasn't that."

"Just let me finish." He took her hands in his. Elena looked down at their intertwined finger, then back up into his beautiful blue eyes. "I promise I am going to help you get though this. Whatever it takes. Don't worry, I will come up with something brilliant. Just don't get down on yourself. I know it doesn't feel like it, but you are already doing better than Stefan or I ever did. Elena, you are clever, and bright, and fearless, and you are strong enough to get through this. Just don't give up on me, ok?"

"Damon." Elena wanted to cry, but refused.

He brought his hands up to caress her face, the way he had a million times before. "Just say ok."

"Ok." She bit her lip and nodded. "Of course, ok."

Damon smiled, still holding her face in his hands. When he pulled them away, he looked toward her house. "You think you're ok to stay here...unsupervised."

"I think so."

"I can send Stefan over if you want."

"No," she said quickly. "No. I just want go inside and take a very long, very hot shower, and get a good night's sleep in my own bed."

"Alright. Well, goodnight then." Damon reached up and gave her a kiss on the forehead. He smiled at her once more, before turning to leave.

"Goodnight, Damon."

Elena stood on there long enough to watch him get in his Camaro and drive away. As soon as his car was out of sight, she slowly backed up and dropped onto her porch steps. Elena was no longer able to hold the tears back. She poured everything she was feeling into her sobs.

When she was finally able to catch her breath, she stood up and went insider her house. Elena went straight to her room. She was about to start a fresh round of crying when she felt her phone buzz. She had just missed a call from Stefan. Elena took a deep breath and called him back .

Stefan answered the phone so unconcerned, and so...normal. _Hey, where are you?_

"At my house. Damon just dropped me off."

_I thought you were staying here tonight._

Elena looked around her room, and sighed. "I kind of want to sleep in my own bed tonight."

_Do you want me to come over there?_

"No, it's ok. I'm really tired," she lied.

_So? _Elena was silent. _How was it?_

"Hmm?"

_The teaching...the feeding._

"Oh," she sighed, flopping down on her bed. "I did better."

There was silence on the other end of the phone. _You really do sound tired. Why don't you take the day off tomorrow, and train with me. I promise, no animal blood._

Elena laughed. He was being so upbeat with his optimistic attitude. "Ok. I'll come by in the morning."

_Ok. Goodnight. _Then she heard the click.

She looked down at her phone. "Goodnight," she said, annoyingly to no one because Stefan had already hung up.

Elena had taken her long, hot shower. She had cried some more, and still couldn't really figure out why. She had finally drifted off into a very un-peaceful sleep, tossing and turning all night. When Elena woke in the morning she didn't feel any more rested than the night before.

**/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/**

**To Be Continued... Chapter Five: Evening the Playing Field (Beware... Stelena ahead)**

**As Elena trains with Stefan, she starts to realize how much their relationship is suffering. She comes up with a solution, but when it doesn't work Elena is forced to confess how she's really been feeling. Finally, Stefan comes up with a an unexpected plan to cheer her up.**

**Remember... Reviews are love!**


	5. Evening the Playing Field

"_Disclaimer: 1) a renunciation of any claim to or connection with; 2) a disavowal; 3) a statement made to save one's own ass" ~Kevin Smith, Dogma_

_In other words, we all know we don't anything TVD, we all wish we did...down to every last snarky comment (insert eye-thing and sexy smirk here)_

**A/N; Hi everyone, back again with the next chapter of Giving Into You... with everything going on in the show... (P.S. Wow! Last night's episode was OMG... wasn't expecting any of that) wanted to give you a quick reminder of where exactly in the show this story is taking place...**

**Picks up right after the end scene of 4x03, The Rager... Elena feeds from Matt and gets carried away, so Damon has to pull her off... earlier, Damon thinks he blew up the hunter, but Klaus has him (No one knows Klaus has him, Stefan doesn't know about the cure)... Elena imagined Damon when she was hallucinating from the werewolf venom... Stefan confesses to Caroline that he's scared of becoming the ripper when he's around Elena and Caroline tells him that she'll be there for him...**

**Happy Reading!**

**Previously on Giving Into You... _"Elena, whatever happened tonight...I'm sorry."_**

"_**Damon, I told you, you didn't do anything."**_

"_**Well, I feel like I did. Look, I know you hate all this...being a vampire...and feeding." Damon realized he was still gripping her arm, so he let go. He let a small sigh escape his lips. "And I know my way was a bust."**_

_**Elena nearly interrupted him, "No, Damon it wasn't that."**_

"_**Just let me finish." He took her hands in his. Elena looked down at their intertwined finger, then back up into his beautiful blue eyes. "I promise I am going to help you get though this. Whatever it takes. Don't worry, I will come up with something brilliant. Just don't get down on yourself. I know it doesn't feel like it, but you are already doing better than Stefan or I ever did. Elena, you are clever, and bright, and fearless, and you are strong enough to get through this. Just don't give up on me, ok?"**_

"_**Damon." Elena wanted to cry, but refused. **_

_**He brought his hands up to caress her face, the way he had a million times before. "Just say ok."**_

"_**Ok." She bit her lip and nodded. "Of course, ok."**_

/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

**You really do sound tired. Why don't you take the day off tomorrow, and train with me. I promise, no animal blood.**

_**Elena laughed. He was being so upbeat with his optimistic attitude. "Ok. I'll come by in the morning."**_

**Ok. Goodnight. _Then she heard the click._**

_**She looked down at her phone. "Goodnight," she said, annoyingly to no one because Stefan had already hung up.**_

_**Elena had taken her long, hot shower. She had cried some more, and still couldn't really figure out why. She had finally drifted off into a very un-peaceful sleep, tossing and turning all night. When Elena woke in the morning she didn't feel any more rested than the night before.**_

**/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/**

**Giving Into You**

_I could fight you 'til the end, But I will lose you if I win  
So I guess I'll just keep on giving into you, like I always do  
No matter how I try, Or maybe could it be  
That you're the part of me, That's keeping me alive?_

_~Break this Spell, Daughtry_

**Chapter Five: Evening the Playing Field**

By the time Elena had dragged herself to the woods to meet Stefan, she was not in a good mood. All of this did not go unnoticed by Stefan. "Elena, we don't have to do this if you don't want to. We can train another time."

"I said I was fine, Stefan," she snapped. Elena immediately felt bad for her outburst, but Stefan just raised his eyebrows. "I didn't mean to yell at you."

"It's ok. Believe it or not, I do know what you're going through." He gave her a warm smile, and Elena couldn't help but smile back.

She was silent for a moment, then an idea flitted across her face out of nowhere. "What about blood bags?"

"What _about_ blood bags?" Stefan repeated, questioning her question.

"Katherine drank from them. I should be able to. I mean if it's some sort of doppelganger blood thing, then why can't I?"

"I'm sure she drinks her fill of fresh blood."

"Do you think I could learn to drink from them?"

"It's possible." Stefan looked at her fallen smile. He came closer to her. "We should just concentrate on getting you fresh blood for now."

"Stefan, why are you..." He quickly cut her off.

"Because you need it." Stefan brought his hands up to cup her face. He was smiling, but it dropped when he said, "Let me see your eyes." She tried not to roll them. After he examined her, Stefan dropped his hands and stepped back. "Whatever Damon's doing seems to be working."

Elena gave him a weak smile. "I have been feeling a little better."

"Good. So...training?" She let out a huge sigh, but nodded.

After working with crossbows and non-wooden stakes extensively, Stefan suggested hand to hand combat. Elena was really in no mood, but halfheartedly agreed. She got in one good take down, before he was able to tackle her four times in a row.

"Elena, what's wrong? You're not exactly concentrating." Stefan stood up and extended his hand to help her up.

"I know. I'm sorry. I just can't keep thinking about..." Elena stopped herself quickly.

"Blood."

Her eyes shot straight into his. Elena wasn't sure if _blood_ was what she was going to say, but it was just as bad. She felt the familiar twinges of guilt start to creep up her veins and invade her skin. Elena was sure any second it was going to pour out of her. "Stefan, I'm sorry."

"Elena." She was surprised when Stefan just smiled at her, and pulled her into a tight embrace. When he pulled away, he was looking tenderly into her face. "Elena, I know you really don't mean any of it, so you really don't have to keep apologizing."

"I know. I just can't seem to stop lately."

"It's ok." Stefan kissed her forehead. She gave him a tight smile. "What's the matter?"

Elena just shook her head. "Nothing." After a few moments of relaxing into Stefan's embrace, Elena dared to ask her question. "Stefan, what if I drank your blood?"

He pulled away to give her a furrowed brow. "My blood? You want to try to feed on me?"

The look on Stefan's face made Elena doubt if she should have asked. She was starting to feel embarrassed, so she kept her gaze down. "What if I have enough human blood in my system that I'll be able to try it? I mean, it's warm and from the vein right?"

Stefan narrowed his eyes at her. "Warm and from the vein?"

"Stefan..." Elena pulled herself out of Stefan's arms and took a few steps back. She watched the look on Stefan's face change from slight irritation to apologetic.

"Elena, we can try." He watched as her eyes rose to meet his. Stefan couldn't decipher everything they held, but one emotion was clear...relief. He continued carefully, "But..."

Elena quickly approached Stefan and grabbed his hands. "No! No buts. Just let me have this. You've been so optimistic, don't stop now."

"Ok. I just don't want you to get your hopes up." He looked into her hopeful face, and smiled. "If you could drink from me, it would make life a little easier. And it would be something special we can share."

"So, tonight then?"

"Does that mean you're going to stay at the boarding house tonight?" Stefan's voice was hopeful.

She gave his hands a tight squeeze and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. "Yes. I'll stay tonight."

Stefan brought Elena into him and placed his chin on the top of her head. "Good," he said smiling.

Elena was relieved when it was finally time to leave the woods. They parted ways so Elena could head back to her house and wash the outdoors off her. Once she packed herself an overnight bag, she was in her car headed for the Salvatore's boarding house.

Upon pulling up the driveway, Elena's spirits fell when she saw no sign of a certain blue classic car. She let out a deep breath and scolded herself for thinking what she was thinking. Stefan met her at the door and after a very deep kiss, Elena decided that it was best that Damon wasn't home.

After sharing a drink on the couch, Stefan flung Elena's bag over his shoulder and guided Elena to the stairs. "Are you sure you want to try this?"

"Yes, Stefan." Elena tried not to sound exasperated by his attitude. "I am absolutely sure." She smiled at him as they climbed the stairs to Stefan's room.

Elena's thoughts strayed to Damon. She thought about how much she loved drinking from him. Deep down Elena knew that she didn't feed from Damon the night before in the alley because she was hungry. It was because she just wanted to be near him. She wanted to taste him.

Somewhere in her subconscious, Elena knew she was only trying to feed off Stefan to make herself feel better about having fed off Damon. Before she knew it, Elena and Stefan were sitting on his bed. Neither one of them could deny the slight tension between them.

Stefan was sitting with his back against the headboard. He was twirling his fingers over Elena's palm. "Stefan?" Her voice made him look up. "Stefan, what's wrong?"

He chased away his weary expression with a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Nothing. Come here." Stefan pulled Elena's lips towards him and gave her a warm kiss. She smiled at the comfort it provided her.

Elena brought herself to her knees, and knelt in front of him. She straddled one of Stefan's knees and brought her shaky hands to the hem of his shirt. Elena broke their kiss long enough to lift Stefan's tee shirt over his head. They gave each other a nervous look before Elena brought her lips to Stefan's neck.

Stefan brought his hands up to her sides. They both took in a shaky breath before Elena's fangs pierced his neck. Elena heard Stefan let out a throaty moan. She closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth his skin provided. This was really going to work.

A mixture of pleasure and relief started to wash through Elena's body, but once the blood filled her mouth she tasted it. Once she tasted it...actually tasted it, she couldn't swallow it. His blood rushed out of her mouth and onto Stefan's chest.

As soon as she saw the dark crimson liquid splash down, the tears started to flow and she couldn't stop them. "Stefan, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. What is wrong with me?" Elena covered her face with her hands.

Stefan immediately pulled her hands away. "Elena look at me." She kept her eyes closed tight. "Elena, stop. It's ok."

"No, it's not! Nothing's ok!" Elena shouted as she just cried harder.

"Elena, look at me." She finally opened her eyes, and Stefan used his tee shirt to wipe the blood off her chin. "Elena, it's alright. You weren't able to keep Damon's blood down. What makes us think you could keep mine down?" His tone was comforting...too comforting.

Elena's mind flashed to a million different places. The awful taste of Stefan's blood. Damon's hands gripping hers against a hard brick wall. Stefan's chest speckled with his blood. Damon's strong arm around her waist as she drank from him on her bed. It was all too much.

Elena jumped off the bed, her voice raising to a high pitch. "Stefan, how can you be so calm about all this?"

"I'm just trying to be strong for you." He narrowed his eyes at her.

"I know you are, and I'm so glad you are, but..."

"But what?" There was a little bit of irritation growing in his voice.

Elena let out a frustrated sigh. "I just feel like your trying to make things...too easy." Elena ran her hands through her hair and began to pace. "I don't know, it's like you just want everything to be ok, when it's not."

"Elena..." Stefan started to calm her down, but she quickly cut him off.

"None of this has been easy! And you...you always seem so calm about it...so ok and so cheerful with it all..."

It was Stefan's turn to jump off the bed. "You rather I make stupid little jokes like Damon!"

"Stefan, that's not what I meant. It's just..."

"What?" Stefan was now in the middle of the room with his arms stretched out. "What is it Elena?"

Elena felt like her heart was dropping from her chest. "I just feel like I can't be myself around you anymore," she said quietly.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Elena shut her eyes tightly. When she opened them, her fire had returned. "It means that I'm not calm, or cheerful, or ok...with any of this! And sometimes I just want to let lose and scream at the top of my lungs, but I feel like I can't with you. I feel like I'm going to disappoint you somehow."

Stefan watched Elena drop onto the edge his bed with a sigh. He let out a sigh of his own as he sat next to her. Stefan placed a hand on her knee. "We don't have to work all this out tonight, you know."

Elena raised her eyes to meet Stefan's. She returned the tight lipped smile he gave her. "I really am sorry."

His smile grew. "You really don't have to keep saying that." Stefan placed a finger under her chin. He raised her lips up to meet his and placed a soft kiss to her mouth. Stefan pulled away and put an arm around Elena.

"I'll try," she said, snuggling into his side.

They both fell into a uncomfortable silence until the roar of a car engine caught their attention. Stefan felt Elena's body tense a bit as Damon's car pulled up the driveway. He waited for the front door to open, but it didn't.

Stefan moved his hand up and down Elena's back, then suddenly pulled her at arms length. "Ok," he said with determination. She gave him a questioning look, but he just smiled. "How about the three of us go out training tomorrow morning? After that, you two can go out for another lesson."

Elena was a little stunned. Stefan continued to stare at her with raised eyebrows, so she just nodded her head. He gave her a warm smile and placed a kiss to her forehead. Without saying another word, Stefan headed into the bathroom to clean himself up.

Stefan and Elena headed downstairs to find that Damon was no where to be found. They exchanged a confused look before Elena headed to the couch to sit down. Just as Stefan made his way behind the drink cart, the front door flew open and Damon sauntered in.

"Are you just coming home?" Stefan was casual as he spoke, but his demeanor was unusual.

"Yes" Damon said, eyebrows raised. He stopped in the doorway.

"You were gone before I left. You've been out all day?"

Damon's gaze shifted between his brother and Elena. "Yeah." He was still a little confused by Stefan's tone.

He came to stand next to Stefan at the drink cart. Damon watched his brother flip over a third glass. "Hey, you want to train with us tomorrow morning?"

"Early?"

"Not too early," Elena said from the couch.

"Why? Need someone to teach you how it's really done?" Damon smirked and gave Stefan a playful punch in the stomach. Stefan didn't even flinch. Elena just rolled her eyes.

"I thought it'd be good for Elena to take on two attackers at the same time." He handed Damon two glasses of the dark alcohol.

"Ooo...moving up in the world." Elena just let out a little laugh, as Damon sat down next to her on the couch. He handed her one of the glasses.

Stefan came around to stand in front of the fire. "So, that's a yes?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll show you two what you've been doing wrong." Damon smirked and started to sip his bourbon.

"Are you staying here tonight?" Stefan asked Elena suddenly.

For some reason, she looked between them. "I might as well." There was something that was starting to feel very comfortable about being around both the Salvatore's at the same time.

Stefan circled in front of them and grabbed Damon's empty glass. Damon watched as his brother went back to the drink cart and started pouring him more alcohol. "I have some things to do tomorrow, so after we train the two of you can practice feeding again." He handed the refill back to Damon, who was giving him an odd look. Stefan looked at Elena, "I'll be upstairs."

Damon watched until Stefan was out of sight, then turned to Elena. "Is it just me, or is he acting strange?"

"It's not just you."

**/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/**

**Final A/N; Thank you for bearing with all the Stelena (beware, there will be a bit more in chapter 7... but with a big Delena twist) Also be aware that there will be hints of Damon/Elena/Stefan but nothing major, this is definitely a Delena story...**

**To Be Continued... Chapter Six: Menage a Training **

**After an odd night turns into an odd morning, Elena gets schooled by the Salvatore's on how to fight off two attackers at once. Training goes extremely well, until Stefan leaves Damon and Elena alone. After another heart to heart, Elena learns more about what it means to blood share.**

**Remember... Reviews are love! Let me know if you like where the story is going, I have the rest of the story mapped out and ready to be written, but feedback can always sway it a bit :)**


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